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Written question asked by David Heath (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 7 March 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 11 March 2008. It was answered by Maria Eagle (Labour) on Thursday, 3 April 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisons

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) high and (b) medium security psychiatric beds exist in (i) prison facilities and (ii) health facilities used by the Prison Service; and how many (A) high and (B) medium security psychiatric beds were in use by prisoners in (1) prison facilities and (2) health facilities used by the Prison Service in each of the last five years.
Answer

Prisons are not designated for treatment under the Mental Health Act and there are no high or medium secure psychiatric beds in the prison estate.In NHS units in England, for 2006-07, the latest period for which figures are available, there was an average daily number of 2,993 mental illness secure unit beds, and 516 learning disability secure unit beds¹.Prisoners with mental disorder that meet the criteria for transfer under the Mental Health Act 1983 are transferred, as patients, to mental health facilities commissioned by the national health service.The number of prisoners transferred in the last five years are shown in the following table."¹ Source:""Department of Health KH03 return."

Number
2003 786
2004 891
2005 900
2006 962
2007 926

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
193505; 474 c1188W
Session
2007-08
Subjects
Prisons
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk